


It's a Four Letter Word

by giles_forever8495



Series: Hard Lives Deserve Happy Endings [1]
Category: Buffy the Vampire Slayer
Genre: Episode: s07e14 First Date, Episode: s07e15 Get It Done, Episode: s07e17 Lies My Parents Told Me, Episode: s07e22 Chosen, F/F, F/M, Gen, My First Fanfic, Post-Episode: s07e22 Chosen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-07-19
Updated: 2016-07-19
Packaged: 2018-07-25 11:51:22
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 13,766
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7531693
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/giles_forever8495/pseuds/giles_forever8495
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>It's the end of the world and all Buffy can think about is being a mother. What happens after she brings her concerns to her Watcher? Also, there's another apocalypse happening. What happens after they stop it?</p>
            </blockquote>





	It's a Four Letter Word

**Author's Note:**

> Italics are thoughts.

"Giles?"

"Yes, Buffy?"

"Can I...can I ask you kind of a dumb question?"

"Aside from that one?" He smiled sarcastically. When his eyes met her's, he could see the seriousness and longing behind them. "What is it, Buffy?" He asked moving next to her. They sat at the breakfast bar in the Summers's kitchen. The world was seemingly falling apart around them, and yet the sadness he heard in her voice wasn't of the world ending. It was something else, a sad fear that something may be lost forever. He stared deeply into her eyes awaiting her response.

"Do you think...well, I mean, after..." She paused not really knowing how to put her thoughts into words. "Last night, when I went out with Principal Woods, he said something. About himself, well about his mother - who she was...She was the Slayer, Giles."

"What?" He said with a shocked expression both on his face and deep within his voice. "A Slayer?"

She nodded while looking at her hands. She was nervous. Afraid of voicing her fears. But she trusted Giles, with everything within her, and something inside her told her that it would be okay to ask. "Do you think, after this is all over...assuming we live...do you think I could...?" She wasn't quite sure how to end that sentence. She began to feel tears burning her eyes. And she looked away from him again.

"Have children?" He finished for her.

She nodded again. Her shoulders slumped and her body quivering with the impending outburst of tears. He reached out to her hands and pulled them into his lap. She turned to face him slightly, but kept her gaze on her hands which were now surrounded with his strong ones.

"Buffy," he started, and paused not knowing where to go. "Do you...do you _want_ to have children?" He finally asked looking under her bowed head to catch her eyes. She looked up at him and held his gaze for some time before she answered.

"I don't know. Maybe. I'm not sure, but...do you think I could? Do you think it would be a bad idea if that's what I wanted?"

"Of course not. You'd be a wonderful mother, Buffy. Just look at how well you are with Dawn."

"But that was mostly my mom. I mean, God, Giles. We didn't even have a good relationship until I came back and you left and I was forced to grow the hell up and take care of her." She stopped realizing the pain, guilt, and anger in her voice. She pulled her hands away from his and got up from her seat. She walked to the sink and looked out the window. Her head fell down to her chest and she could feel the tears again. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean..."

"It's alright." Giles got up from his chair and walked towards her. He leaned his back on the counter next to her so that he could see her face. He folded his arms across his chest, "I shouldn't have left until you were better, stronger at least. You did need to grow up, but I should have given you more time to cope with what had been done. _I'm_ sorry." He leaned down and caught her eyes again. She picked her head up to look at him and he continued. "You are strong, and smart, and brilliantly adaptable. If you decide that you want to have children, then I have no doubt you will exceed at that as you have many other things in your life. I am so proud of the woman you have become."

She smiled up at him and let the tears fall from her eyes. She was so overwhelmed. The First was attacking them in the worst ways possible and she didn't know what she would do without Giles. She knew it was hard to think about the future when there was a possibility of a future never happening. Her fears began to get the better of her and her tears became thicker. She let out a soft sob.

Giles slowly took her shoulders and pulled her to his chest. He wrapped his arms tightly around her and rested his head atop her's. He didn't have the words to say. He knew nothing he could say was powerful enough to make her forget about all the bad that was surrounding them. But he could do this. He could comfort her the way that she needed. The way that he should have when she was brought back. He held her close to his chest and felt her arms tighten around his waist. His shirt became damp from her tears. He held her until she was able to calm down.

"Are you alright now?" He asked as she pulled away slightly. They kept their arms around each other. He smiled sadly down at her.

"I'm okay. Well, I will be anyway. Thank you. For everything, Giles. I couldn't get through this without you." She laid her cheek against his chest and closed her eyes listening to his gentle heartbeat. "I'm glad you're back. I've missed you so much. I..." She paused for a moment considering the weight of her next words. Then she continued. "I love you, Giles."

He smiled against her hair. He wondered if her words were as deep as he felt. He simply pulled her tighter and softly spoke, "I missed you, too. And," he paused. Could he really say those words to her? He's felt it for so long, but could he say them now? Could he tell her the true depth of his feelings? He resigned to simply saying the words and leave the meaning for debate at a later time. "I love you, too, Buffy."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Dawn came down the stairs for breakfast. She stopped in the doorway of the kitchen as she saw her sister and her sister's Watcher hold each other. Then her jaw dropped as she heard them share their feelings for one another. She smiled widely at the sight of the couple and let out an excited squeak. "Aww!"

Buffy and Giles were startled at the sound from the doorway and jumped back from each other. "Dawn. What are you doing?"

"I came down to get breakfast! But then I saw you two, and…and…I'm so happy! You guys are so cute! I can't believe you didn't tell me, Buffy!"

"Tell you what?" Buffy looked at her sister with the most confused expression she could muster.

Dawn looked back and forth between the two of them. "I heard you say that you loved each other and you were all cuddly and what not. Aren't you together?"

"What!?" Buffy and Giles said in unison.

Buffy continued, flustered. "Together? Dawn what are talking about? I was...I was just upset, a-and…and" she looked to Giles for some assistance. She didn't want to take back what she had said but she also didn't know if he meant it to the extreme that she did.

"Your sister was overwhelmed and she began to cry. I was comforting her, and well, we j-just were saying that we've missed each other and that we care deeply for one another. We are not 'together' as you've put it."

Buffy felt a pang of hurt at his final words, but she knew that he was right. She looked to her sister in agreement with her Watcher.

"But - you guys are like the most important people to me. I mean, it's just that, you two so love each other and everyone can see it. Except you apparently. I guess I just got excited because I thought you finally got together or something." She paused looking disappointedly back and forth between the two, "so...you didn't..? You aren't...?"

Buffy looked up to Giles and saw something in his eyes, but she wasn't sure what. She made a note in her mind to question him about it later. Then she looked back to her sister and hesitated before she spoke. "We...aren't. He's my Watcher, and I'm his Slayer. And," she looked up again at him with sad eyes and said quietly, "I guess that's it."

Dawn frowned and left the room. She wanted them to be together. They both are _clearly_ in love with each other. _Why couldn't they just admit that? They deserve a happy ending!_ She marched back into the kitchen without stopping this time. "I still want breakfast." She got out a bowl and poured her cereal. Then she went to the fridge to get out the milk. And as quickly as she could, she left with a full bowl and spoon in her hand.

Buffy and Giles were left alone. They both stood near each other in an uncomfortable silence. Finally, Buffy couldn't take it anymore. She looked at Giles, with a flash of anger and sadness in her eyes, and she went outside to sit on the back porch. With the morning light she was guaranteed at least some safety. It was quiet and the wind blew softly through the leaves. The sun was bright, but the air still a bit chilly. She wrapped her arms around herself to try and keep warm. In the silence she could only hear her strong heartbeat and her haunting thoughts.

 _We aren't together. Of course we aren't. I know that. Then why the heck is it bothering me so much? For God's sake, I went on a date with another man last night. It didn't seem to bother me then. And before that? I was considering another vampire with a soul. No, wait. I care about Spike, sure. But I don't love him. I know what he is, and what he can be, but he has a soul now. He's a different man. I don't want him gone, but...I am_ not _in love with him. Definitely not. I love...God. I think I really love Giles. I told him as much not 10 minutes ago. But, he clearly didn't take it the way I meant it._ A voice sounded in her head, "a father's love for his daughter." _Quentin Travers. Was he right? Giles was never a replacement for dad, but then again he was more of father to me than Hank Summers. And to Dawn too. Dawn. "_ You two so love each other, and everyone can see it." _If that's true then why can't I see it? Of course I love Giles. He's the most important person in my life other than Dawn. And it's not a far stretch to say that I'm in love with Giles. I'm in love with Giles. Oh, God! I'm in love with Giles!_

All the pain and anger instantly left her mind. She was in love with Giles. She couldn't keep the smile from her face. She got up as fast as she could and turned to go back inside. She had to tell him how she felt. And she had to tell him now. _No time to waste, Buffy. Get it over with._

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Giles slumped against the counter as Buffy walked, _ran is more like it_ , out of the kitchen and onto the back porch. A hurt and confused expression came across his face. He took his glasses off and pressed the bridge of his nose between his fingers. He quickly fell deep in thought.

_Good show, Giles. You let your mouth run a bit too long and now she's run off again. You hurt her yet again, mate._

_Hurt._

_She's hurt. Why would she be hurt?_

He ran through the conversation again in his head. She'd said it first. That was definitely what happened. He returned the sentiment, and then, and then. Dawn walked in. _"You two so love each other, and everyone can see it."_ Her words rattled through his head. Is his love for her so obvious? And if everyone else thinks that about them, then why can't he see that she feels the same?

_Cause you're a bloody old man, that's why, Rupert Giles. Sure she's dated a couple of bloody vampires who were over a century older than even me, but they still looked as they did in their prime. Your hairs going grey and body is obviously aging. She's a young girl, Rupert. No. She's a woman. After all she's bloody been through, she is a woman. A damn beautiful one at that. But she's always been beautiful. From the moment I first saw her walk in the library. She's always been beautiful. And now she's finally grown into a woman. "A father's love." That pillock. That was the moment I knew. Not a father's bloody love. A father couldn't do that to his daughter, sure. But that's not the reason I told her. I couldn't send the love of my life to be slaughtered. Scared without her strength. It's barbaric. No. Not a father's love at all._

The anger built in Giles until he couldn't handle it anymore. He needed to get out of this house and get some fresh air. He jumped away from the counter and marched down the hallway and out the front door.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"Giles!" Buffy said as she came through the kitchen door. She looked at where he was at the counter and saw that he was no longer there. She wandered into the dining room and then the living room. Dawn was sitting on the couch with some of the Potentials. Willow and Xander sat on the floor. They all watched some movie on the TV. "Where's Giles?" Buffy asked the group in front of her.

Dawn looked up from her gaze at the television. "Sorry, Buffy. I didn't mean to upset you guys. He...Giles, he just left."

"In a hurry too. Didn't even take his jacket." Xander said pointing up at the brown jacket hanging from the coat rack. "No weapons either."

Buffy's face grew concerned. She grabbed her jacket and a steak and raced for the front door. Willow stopped her just before she made it outside. "Is everything okay, Buff? He seemed pretty upset."

"I don't know, Wil. I thought...we kinda said some things. I thought they were of the good, too. But then...I don't know. Look I need to find him. I need to tell him..." Willow saw the look in her eyes she knew exactly what she was trying to say.

She gave an excited smile to her best friend. "Go get him," she whispered and with that Buffy was gone.

She wasn't exactly sure where he'd go, but she had some ideas. She started walking. Her mind raced through the things that could happen. At first all she could think about was that he may get hurt. Sure it was morning, but that only meant no vamp danger. There were plenty of other big bad's out there. And Giles was capable, but he has no weapons. She started to run. She had to get to him before any bad happened. She had to tell him. She had to know that he knows.

Before long she reached her destination. She stopped in front of the stone staircase. After a moments hesitation she descended the stairs and found herself in an old courtyard. Abandoned since the last time someone took residence here. She walked in through the open doors and into a large foyer. She stopped for a moment as she looked at the large fireplace. So much had happened here. Then she moved past the place where she killed her ex-lover and towards the room where he tortured her Watcher. The room was still dark and smelled of musty old furniture. An empty chair sat in the middle of the room. She could still see the blood stains in the wood and on the floor. She shuddered as her mind went through the events of that night. Then she shifted her gaze to a figure leaned against the far wall.

"Hey."

Giles didn't answer. He simply kept his gaze fixed on the chair in front of him.

"I'm sorry if I upset you." Buffy slowly moved a bit closer to him. She couldn't read his expression and wasn't sure how'd he react to her coming too close.

He let out a sharp laugh. "Upset me," he mumbled under his breath. "It is your gift, isn't it?" He didn't mean for her to hear that, but of course she did.

She jumped back from the pain of his words. "Giles, I..." She didn't finish. Hot tears burned her cheeks.

He stayed against the wall staring intently at the blood stained chair. "You didn't upset me, Buffy. I'm sorry. I upset myself." He breathed deeply before he considered his next words. "I seem to have a knack for getting myself too deep in thought, and well, my thoughts often remind me of my deepest fears."

She moved closer to him again. She was confused at his words, but she still needed to be near him. To touch him. To hold him again. For him to hold her. She stood in front of him blocking his view of the chair. He wouldn't meet her gaze; he simply stared at her feet. She took in the sight of him. Now that she was closer she could see the tears that dried on his cheeks. She could see the redness that burned his eyes. She could see the pain that he was feeling. She stretched her hand out to run her fingers through his hair. She touched his forehead and brushed her fingers down his cheek. She rested the palm of her hand under his chin.

His eyes closed tightly to the touch of her gentle hands. She lifted his chin so that they were eye to eye. He kept his shut tightly, but she continued to speak softly. "Giles," she whispered. Her voice sent chills through his entire body. "We need to talk. I need to tell you something. But I need you to look at me, okay?" She moved her hands so that they gently held his face, one hand on each side. She brushed the leftover tears that fell from his eyes with her thumbs.

He slowly opened his eyes and met her gaze. Her crystal blue eyes were soft and they were filled with...something. He couldn't be sure what. He had to hear it from her to know for sure. He lifted his hands and rested them against hers. He closed his eyes again, just for a moment, to enjoy the feel of her skin on his face. Then his green eyes met her's again.

"The thing is, Giles, I've had this big revelation or epiphany or whatever. The point is, I figured something out. It's pretty major, so I'm gonna need you not to wig out on me, okay?"

He nodded his head slightly.

"I kinda already told you, before, in the kitchen..." she paused to see if he understood. His eyes lit up and he straightened a bit against the wall. His grip tightened around her hands. She smiled wide and continued to look deep into her Watcher's green eyes. "I told you that...that I love you, Giles. And I meant it. I mean I really, really meant it. I'm...I'm i-in love with you, Rupert Giles."

Giles close his eyes and smiled at the sound of her words. He let go of her hands and mimicked her hold on his face. With a hand on each side of hers, Giles pulled her close to him and rested his forehead against hers. He felt more tears running down his face, as well as hers. He could feel her grin under his palms. He loved her so dearly. He took a deep breath and collected his voice. He tried to speak, but nothing came out. He tried again. "I-I love you so much, Buffy," he finally whispered into her face.

She felt his breath on her lips as he spoke those sweet words to her. She wrapped her arms tightly around his neck and pulled him in close. She held him tight and nestled her forehead in his neck. She kept her eyes close and took a deep breath of his manly scent. She felt his arms close around her back and he pulled her body to rest on his. He bent his head to rest on her shoulder and nestled his nose into her neck. He loved the smell her and it was intoxicating being this close. He whispered again, "I love you so much." This time it was more of a cry. A plea for the deep connection between them.

They stayed like that for some time. Neither one wanted to pull away. Neither one wanted to ever be away from the other again. But eventually they would need to move. Buffy pulled back first not letting go of his neck, but resting her forehead once again on his. "Come on, Giles, let's go home."

He stood upright and kept her close to his chest. He leaned down and pressed his lips onto her forehead. When he pulled back, he moved to take her hand in his and tangle their fingers together.

They walked out of the mansion on Crawford Street and slowly headed back to Revello drive. They would never leave each other ever again.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"Do you think their okay? I mean they've been gone for a couple of hours now. You don't think...nothing could have happened right?"

"I'm sure their fine, Wil. They clearly needed some time alone to talk. Who knows, maybe they only talked a little and now they're just doing the horizontal mambo."

"Xander!" Dawn and Willow both exclaimed at their friend.

"I'm happy for them and all Xander, but there are some things I'd just rather not know about my sister. You know how many times I accidentally walked in on her and Riley? Too many. At this point I'd rather just not know, you know?"

"Besides, they wouldn't do that. Not right away anyway. At least, you don't really think they..." Before Willow could finish, the front door opened, and Buffy and Giles walked in. They rushed from the kitchen to meet the pair at the door.

"Hey guys! So, how's it going? Did you 'profess your eternal love and all'?"

"Yeah real smooth, Willow." Xander said in a mocking tone.

She gave him a glare and opened her mouth to continue, but Buffy spoke first.

"Guys, it's cool. We talked, and…well…" Buffy looked at Giles and was unsure what to say. Sure they talked but they didn't exactly declare that they were going steady or anything.

Giles could see that she needed the words, so he reached for her hand and held it tightly in his. "I believe, as Dawn put it earlier, we're 'together' now."

Xander, Willow and Dawn cheered. And then the thirty or so teenage girls who were eavesdropping from the living room all let out a shriek of excitement. Buffy and Giles looked at each other and wished that they had stayed in the mansion for a few more hours, at least.

Instead of running for the door again, they moved into the next room and took a seat on the couch to join in on the movie watching. Just as they got comfortable, the phone rang. Giles stood to answer it.

"Summer's residence...Yes, this is Rupert...I understand...Yes, I'll be on the first plane out tomorrow morning...Good day to you, too," Giles hung up the phone and dropped his. Then after a moment he looked to Buffy. It seems the entire room was waiting anxiously for him to speak. "It seems there's another Potential Slayer in Istanbul. I'm to leave in the morning to retrieve her and bring her here before she's attacked."

Buffy's face filled with disappointment. She didn't want him to leave. She didn't want to be away from him ever again. But she knew what they had to do. She knew he had to go, and she knew he might not come back. She stood from the couch, "Okay then." She had resolve in her voice and on her face. The happiness that filled her drained, and the rest of the room could see it.

"Buffy," Giles said, "may we talk?" He gestured towards the kitchen and Buffy followed.

She moved behind the counter and crossed her arms over her chest. Clearly of the defensive. Giles moved beside her to try and comfort her. "I won't be gone long. I call as soon as I land and again when we're headed back. It'll be alright," he tried to look into her eyes but she kept looking away from him.

Finally, she looked up. "It's fine, Giles. I understand. You have to go. You have to get her. And you have to bring her back." She stopped and stared at him for a moment. "Promise me, Giles."

"What?"

"Promise me that no matter what, you come home."

"Buffy, I-"

"I know. It's a duty, blah blah blah. But we finally got we wanted and I'm not ready to give that up. You don't be a hero, you understand me, Rupert? You come home to me no matter what. Promise."

Giles just looked at her. He couldn't make this promise to her. He couldn't guarantee his safety. And he couldn't let an innocent girl die just because he needed to get home to his girlfriend. But Buffy would never just be his girlfriend. She has been and will always be the love of his life. His second half. His light within his darkness. So he would make this promise to her, even though he shouldn't. He would promise her because he needed to promise himself. Because if he didn't promise her, then he wouldn't have the necessary motivation to make it home at all.

"I promise you, with everything that is within me, I will not be a hero. I will come home to you." He reach down and pulled her into his chest. He wrapped his arms around her body and hugged her as tightly as he could. And with his love for her, he promised.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"How do you think she's doing?"

"I don't know, Wil. It's been almost ten days since he called and said that he landed. She can't be doing great."

"Should we talk to her?"

"Talk to who?" Buffy came into the dining room to see her two best friends sitting across from each other. They shared a look of surprise and a bit of sadness.

"Hey, Buffster. We were just talkin' about...uh, well, you. How've been?"

"Aside from fighting a big bad that we can't touch or find or know anything about?"

"Yeah, pretty much."

"I'm okay, Xand. Really. Giles said it would be a few days until he could call again. This potential lives in the middle of nowhere, so no reception and no payphones. For now, there's no need to worry about him."

"You seem to be worrying anyway..." Willow looked at her. She could see the lack of sleep under her eyes and the tear stains on her shirt. She wished desperately to be able to do something, anything to help. But she still didn't trust herself enough to do magic that wasn't really necessary.

"Yeah, well, you know." Buffy said looking at her hands. She hadn't stopped worrying since he got the call. No, wait, she hasn't stopped worrying since the day she found out who she is. "So, where are all the mini-me's?"

"In the back yard working on some serious training."

"Great. I could use a good wor-" before she could finish there was a knock at the door. She walked over hesitantly and unlocked it.

"Hello, Buffy."

"Giles..." He was standing in the doorway covered in scrapes and bruises. His left eye was swollen shut and he seemed to be walking with a limp. He stumbled as he started to walk through the door. Buffy threw his arm over her shoulders and helped him to the couch. As she laid him down, she noticed the blood smoking through his shirt.

"G-man! Hey! What...happened...?"

"Willow! Grab the first aid kit! Xander get me some ice." Buffy immediately began barking orders as she laid Giles on his back. "I told you no heroics," she whispered.

"I can…ah!…assure you…there were no heroics on my part. I barely got out alive."

"I can see that. And the potential?"

"Took me four days to find her, and once...ow!"

"Sorry!" She was peeling the blood soaked clothing off of his skin.

"It's alright. Once I...found her, she had already been dead a day or two. Ah! Please, do be a bit more gentle with that!" Willow had brought the first aid kit and Xander handed him a bag of frozen peas for his eye. Buffy slowly poured the hydrogen peroxide over the cuts in his chest.

"There's only so much I can do, Giles. You look like someone put you through a shredder!"

"Yes, well. On my way out of the village I was attacked by Bringers. They clearly…ow!…managed to…" Giles bit his lip to keep from yelling out in pain. Now that the wounds were cleaned, Buffy was _trying_ to gently spread antiseptic ointment on them and apply clean bandages. "They managed to slice me up pretty good. I managed a few punches here and there, but mostly, I just ran." He slowly sat up and leaned back against the couch. His chest was almost completely wrapped in bandages and he held half frozen peas to his swollen eye. The trio looked at him in disbelief as he recited the incidents that caused his injuries. "What?" He exclaimed at their faces. Then he turned to Buffy, "I promised no heroics, so this is what you get."

"Why didn't you call? Everyone was worried."

"I'm sorry. I was a bit more concerned with getting back than I was about stopping to tell you all about it over the phone." He gave her a sheepish smile, which she returned stubbornly.

"Still. I would've liked to have known that you were alive or something."

"Yes, well, next time."

"You should rest."

"It looks like maybe you should, too." He reached out to touch her face. She looked so tired.

"You both should." Willow said as she watched two of her best friends. "You both should go upstairs and get some rest. We can take care of everyone else for a couple of hours. There's not much to do today anyway. Dawn will be home from school soon and she's going to want to see you, which means hugs. So, go rest up. Both of you." Before either could protest with gave them her realize face. Buffy helped Giles from the couch and led him up the stairs to her bedroom.

"You can have the bed. I'll be fine on the floor."

"Giles. Don't be stupid. First of all, you're all injured-guy right now so no way am I taking the bed from you. Second of all..." She paused and just looked at him. They had only just professed their love to each other before Giles left. They hadn't even kissed yet. Maybe sleeping in the same bed isn't the best idea. Then again...

She pulled Giles' hand toward the bed and sat him on the edge. She ran her fingers through his hair and gently touched the bruises on his face. She leaned down and kissed his cuts and bruises gently, all over his face until she reached a cut on his lip. She closed her eyes and lightly pressed her lips to his. Giles let out a soft moan and slid his fingers through her hair. The kiss was long, but soft. Buffy didn't want it to go to far because she didn't want to hurt him any more than he already was. Instead she continued her trail of kisses over his injuries until she reached his pants.

"How's the leg?" She asked she caressed the leg he limped on.

"Not broken." He took a deep breath. Her gentle strokes and kisses made his heart race. "A bit bruised, perhaps."

"Let me see." She pulled him off the bed and stood in front of him. Slowly she undid his belt buckle, the button of his pants and unzipped his zipper. She pushed the top of his pants over his hips and down past his thighs until they fell around his ankles. She gently pushed his shoulders back so he sat back on the bed. Then she went back to kissing his wounds starting at the black and blue welt on his thigh. She pulled off his shoes and the remainder of his pants. All he wore were his black briefs. "When you get better, we're going to have a look under there," she whispered in his ear as she pushed him back on the bed.

He let out a low growl from deep in his throat. He wanted her here and now, but he knew as well as she: he didn't have the strength or the energy. "So are you going to rest with me or not?" He shifted to the top of the bed and rested his head on the pillows.

She kicked off her shoes and tugged off her pants. Then she gently crawled over him, straddling his hips for only a moment, and fell to his side. She slipped under the covers and pulled them over him as well. Giles pulled her into his arms and as soon as they held each other again, they fell fast asleep.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Dawn walked in the front door after a boring day at school. All she could think of was Giles. She needed to know that he was okay and that her sister would be okay. She missed him so much. After Buffy died, her and Giles became close. She was beyond excited to finally see them together. They've been through so much together that they both deserved to be happy. And be happy with each other. Dawn knew they loved each other before they knew it themselves. She could see the way that Giles looked at Buffy, and the way that Buffy depended on Giles. And after Giles left for England, Buffy was such a mess. She needed him more than ever before, but was too stubborn to call the man.

"Hey, Dawnie," Xander sat at the table with Willow and a large stack of books. "How was school?"

"Oh you know, history, math, lunch, same-old-same-old. Uhm...where's Buffy?"

"Oh!" Willow popped up and grew very excited. "She's upstairs. Asleep."

"You seem pretty excited about that. I'm glad she's finally resting. Have we heard anything about Giles?"

"Yeah! They're _both_ asleep upstairs!"

"What!?" She exclaimed and darted for the stairs. "Start with that next time!" She called after them.

Dawn ran down the hallway and barreled through the doorway. Giles and Buffy laid still, holding each other gently. Their chests rising and falling in a synchronized rhythm. A wide childlike grin spread across Dawn's face. After she watched them for a minute she quietly closed the door and left. If they hadn't woken to her yelling then surely they needed sleep, so she let them be. But she promised herself to get plenty of hugs from Giles as soon as he woke.

Dawn went back down the stairs and settled into a chair next to Xander. She let out a sigh of relief, “I’m glad he’s home.”

“Me, too,” Xander said looking back at Dawn. “He went through a lot. I’m just happy they’re together again.”

Back up stairs in Buffy’s room Giles peeked through a half opened eyelid. “Thank God,” he gasped. “I was fully expecting her to jump into bed with us.”

Buffy giggled at his relief, “She’s just happy you’re home. And so am I.” She lifted herself up onto her elbow so she could see his face. With her other hand she ran her fingers through his hair and traced a line down his cheek until her fingers rested on his lips. “She missed you almost as much as I did.”

“Really? You missed me?” Giles gave her a wry smile.

“I did.”

“Care to show me?”

“You think you’re up for it?”

Giles let out a sharp laugh and then inhaled quickly. The pain from his chest seeped into his voice, “Maybe you ought to give me a day or two.”

“Maybe a day, but I don’t think I can wait two.” Buffy leaned down and kissed his lips. Then she kissed the cut under his eye, his swollen eyebrow, and his bruised cheek. She moved down and continued brushing her lips over the bandages on his chest and abdomen. She removed the covers and kissed his down his bruised thigh, and then back up again to his lips.

Giles’s breath became quick and he could feel his flesh harden under her touch. “You keep up with that and I won’t be able to wait another minute.” When she kissed him again he brushed his fingers through her hair and pulled her deeper into a kiss. He felt her tongue brush across his lips and opened them for her. Their kiss grew passionate and deeper by the second. After a few moments they broke for air.

Buffy smiled down at him and rose from the bed. She climbed over his bruised body and stood by him. “C’mon. Let’s go downstairs.”

Giles slowly rose of the bend wincing as his body reluctantly bent. He paused to catch his breath as he let his legs hang over the edge of the bed. “Toss me my shirt?”

Slowly Giles and Buffy managed to get his clothes back on. While Giles struggled with his belt buckle, Buffy slipped on a pair of jeans. They made their way, hand-in-hand, down the hallway and onto the first floor. As they turned into the dining room, Dawn sprang from her chair and ran toward Giles. She nearly knocked him off his feet before he could caution her, “Gently! Gent-ly…” He said through gritted teach has she wrapped her arms around his chest.

“Oops! Sorry! I didn’t mean…are you okay?” She looked up at him, a smile from ear to ear and pure happiness in her eyes. “I’m so glad you’re home.” She said as she hugged him again, more gently than the first time.

Giles smiled down at her and pulled her tightly against him, “I’m glad, too.

“So,” he said looking at Xander and Willow. “What did I miss?”

Over the next hour, or so, the group filled Giles in on the detailed events of the past ten days. Buffy jumped into a portal that traded her for a mega demon from the past where she fought the men who made the first Slayer, and Andrew’s tears closed the Seal of Danzalthar for the time being. They each took turns giving their account of the events. Dawn made sure to brag on Willow for doing such a good job with the magic’s when they needed to get Buffy back through the portal. Buffy told them how she needed to get Andrew to cry, which they quietly joked about how easily it could be done.

“Seriously, Giles,” Buffy said through laughter. “You should have seen his face when he thought I was going to kill him.” They all broke out into a deep laugh as they mimicked the faces that he could have made. After a short time they brought themselves back to reality and the seriousness of the situation. The group sat in silence for a good twenty minutes until a group of Potentials came in to welcome Giles home.

Finally the time came to eat dinner. Dawn, Andrew and one of the Potentials collaborated in making spaghetti and meatballs for everyone. When it was done, people sat anywhere they could to eat. The dining room table was full, the breakfast bar in the kitchen was crowded, every chair in the living room was full, and the remainder took seats on the floor around the coffee table.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

“I…we-uh…I understand your anger,” Giles said with his hands in his pockets as he leaned against the doorframe to Buffy’s room. “Please believe me, we did wha-uh, we did what we-”

“He’s alive,” Buffy cut him off. She stood in her room looking away from him. “Spike’s alive. Wood failed.”

Giles hesitated for a moment as her words registered in his brain. “Well that doesn’t change anything. What I told you is still true. You need to learn-”

“No.” She cut him off again. She turned and squared herself in front of him. She looked him straight in the eyes, “I think you’ve taught me everything I need to know.” And with that she shut the door in his face and retreated into her room.

Giles stood outside her door with his chin on his chest. _What does she see in him, a vampire? Was her declaration of love a lie? Am I really trying to compete with a bloody vampire? Hell no. She may think she can learn nothing more from me, but this conversation is not over._ Giles picked his head up and stormed through her door slamming it shut behind him. He was filled with anger and she was going to hear what he had to say.

She sat perched on the edge of the bed, her arms folded across her chest. She stared blankly at the floor waiting for him to explode.

“Maybe I can’t teach you anything anymore, but that gives you no right to speak to me the way that you do. Not when you claim to love me.”

“Well maybe I was wrong. You’re supposed to be able to trust someone that you love, but I can’t trust you anymore, Giles. All Wood wanted was revenge for his mother’s death. And while I understand where he’s coming from, we don’t have time for vendetta’s here. It’s a Goddamned apocalypse! We need everyone we can get and whether you like it or not, we need Spike.”

“What is your obsession with him?”

“How dare you?”  
“How dare I? Buffy you slept with him, claimed not to love him and then he tried to rape you! And here you are still defending him!”

“He has a soul!”

“And that means he’s forgiven for all of the things he’s done?”

“Angel was forgiven.”

“By you.”

“Because I killed him.”

“Because no matter what, you’ll always be in love with him.”

“So now this is about Angel? Or just my poor choices in men? And if that’s the case, then what does that say about you, Giles? Huh?”

He just stared at her. He let his anger get the better of him and he needed to stop. He needed to get back to the point, and he needed to get her back. He took a deep breath, a step back, and closed his eyes. “Buffy,” he began slowly, trying to release all of his anger. “I understand that you have feelings for him, Spike. But can you trust him?”

“He has stood by my side since that stupid chip in his head neutered him. And now he has a soul. We need him, Giles. I don’t know why or how yet, but we do. I can feel it. So, yes I trust him.”

“I don’t like it.”

“I know.” Buffy’s shoulders grew heavy and she sat back down on the bed. “I’m sorry, Giles. I know you were just doing what you thought was best. I just wish that you could trust my judgment here.”

He moved to the edge of the bed and sat beside her. “I do trust you, Buffy. You’re a smart and strong leader. But even leaders seek guidance every now and then. It would do us all some good if you shared your thoughts with the people closest to you before you make decisions like this. And I should to. We’ve both made mistakes here.” He paused to look at her. He could see the tears forming in her eyes, and he reached down to hold her hand. With his other hand he lifted her chin and turned her head so he could look into her eyes. “Let’s agree right now to talk to each other before making any more big decisions. Deal?”

“Deal,” she whispered. Then she turned her head away from him and stared down at their hands. “I didn’t mean what I said before.”

“About what?”

“About not being able to trust you and being wrong about how I feel about you. I didn’t mean to say those things. It’s just…” she paused to swallow the lump in her throat. “It’s just that I was hurt. But I do. Love you. And trust you.” She looked back up into his green eyes. They were smiling down at her.

Giles took her face in his hands and pressed his lips against her forehead. “I know, Buffy. I forgive you. And I will always love you.”

"Giles?"

"Yes?"

"When this is over...when we win, because we have to win, take me out on a date?"

He let out a soft chuckle, "where would you like to go?"

"Some place nice. Where we can relax and enjoy a meal together, maybe see a movie. Anywhere that doesn't involve a hellmouth, vampires, or an impending apocalypse."

"That narrows it down to a few places. It sounds like a lovely idea."

And with that they laid back on the bed, arms wrapped around each other, and slept until daybreak.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"What do you think we should do, Buffy?"

"Yeah you're not the one and only chosen anymore. Just gotta live like a person. How's that feel?"

"Yeah, Buffy. What are we gonna do now?"

They stood looking into the rubble that was once Sunnydale, California. Now, all that remains is a gaping hole in the earth. With cuts, bruises, blood and dirt, Buffy, Xander, Willow, Faith, Dawn, Giles, and the rest of the new slayers looked towards the remains and for the first time, they could all see a future.

A smile swept across Buffy's face as she contemplated the meaning of it all. She was no longer alone in the world. She would forever be accompanied by the multitude of slayers across the globe. Her burden was no longer her's to carry alone. She could feel the weight shifting on her shoulders, getting lighter and lighter as each new slayer gained their strength and picked up a part of the world to carry. With this many slayers and this much power, the world would certainly become a safer place.

Suddenly she felt arms slide around her waist and a warm body pressed against her back. She looked up and saw Giles smiling down at her. He pulled her in tight and kissed her jaw.

"What do you say, love? Fancy a trip to Disneyland?"

Buffy let out a giggle and leaned back into Giles's chest. "How about the beach? It's relaxing and if we head in the right direction we'll be close to a hospital."

"Always thinkin', B. The beach sounds like a great idea!" Faith turned and rounded everyone up and back onto the bus.

Giles took the wheel from Wood and headed for the coast. Everyone continued to tend to each other's wounds, making sure no one lost too much blood. After a couple of hours everyone settled down and started to fall asleep.

The sun began setting as the Sunnydale High school bus pulled in front of a local hospital. They carried in their wounded and stayed with them for the night. Tomorrow they would find a hotel to stay in and make their way to the beach. But for now, they rested.

As morning came so did the doctors. Robin Wood would need to stay a few more days, but the others would be healed by the afternoon. Buffy, Xander, and Giles left to find a good hotel somewhere in between the hospital and the beach. They found a good deal at a quaint motel. The owner was an old friend of Anya's who remembered Xander. When they told him what they had been through, he practically let them in for free. As the girls checked out of the hospital, one by one, they moved into their hotel rooms.

They all paired off, two to a room. Buffy and Giles, Xander and Andrew, Willow and Kennedy, Dawn and Vi, Rona and Amanda, and so on. Faith stayed in the hospital with Robin not wanting to leave his side until he woke.

"What's it like, B?"

"What's what like?" Buffy asked standing in the door to Robin's room. Faith sat in the chair next to his bed and watched his chest rise and fall with each breath.

"Being, I don't know, like, _in love_ I guess."

"You're in love with him?"

Faith's brow furrowed in thought for a moment and then looked up at Buffy, "maybe, I don't know. What's it like?"

She took a deep breath, "it's like...like nothing makes sense in the world except him. Everything could be falling apart around you, but he's all you can think of. And once the chaos subsides, it's just you and him, and nothing else matters. It's like taking your first breath of fresh air after being under water. It's the beating of your heart in your chest. It's..." Buffy tried to make sense of her thoughts but she couldn't quite get the best analogy.

"It's like the high of a fight," Faith finished for her.

"Yeah, but the fight never ends."

"Must be something, huh, B?"

"Must be."

Giles, Xander, and Andrew helped everyone to their rooms. They didn't really have anything with them, but they would figure that out later. Right now everyone just needed a good shower and some rest.

Buffy let herself into urge room she'd be sharing with Giles. There was one queen-sized bed in the middle. A TV was on the dresser across from the bed, and a desk next to it. She walked further into the room and examined the bathroom. It had one sink on a moderately sized counter. There was both a shower and a tub, which made Buffy smile. She couldn't wait to show Giles. But suddenly she became very nervous. Sure they had been sharing her bed since they professed their love for one another, but other than that they've only so much as kissed. There didn't seem to be time for...anything more. Buffy wondered if Giles would even want to...

"Buffy?" Giles opened the door and called into the room thankfully interrupting her thoughts. She came out of the bathroom and met him halfway, just in front of the bed.

"Hey," she said quietly and a bit nervous.

"Is the room all right?"

"Yeah. It's fine," she glanced at the bed, back to the bathroom and then back at Giles. Her faced filled with red.

"Are you all right?"

"I was just thinking...about..." She looked at the bed again and back to him. "Well...it's just that, we haven't..."

Giles seemed to catch onto her train of that and followed her gaze towards the bed, "oh, y-yes, w-well, um...we c-could...if y-you wanted...u-um," he cursed himself silently for the amount of stuttering he did.

"No. I mean...Only if you wanted to...Not that I don't want to...I do...I really, really do..."

"Good!" He didn't mean to sound so excited, but he couldn't seem to help himself. "I-I m-mean, yes. I do to." He smiled at her and blushed, but he didn't look away.

"Really?" She said shyly with a smile creeping across her face.

"Of course. Buffy, I love you." He suddenly grew very serious. He wanted her to know that he was serious about her, about his love for her, and about the fact that he wanted her greatly. "I love more than anything in this world. And I want to show you that love in every way possible."

She didn't say anything. How could she? _How am I supposed to respond to something that beautiful?_ She wrapped her arms around his neck and pulled him down for a kiss, a deep sensuous kiss. She kissed him like she would never kiss another again. She kissed him with everything she had in her. She felt his arms slide around her waist and tighten around her back. He pulled her close in close and further deepened the kiss. They stayed like that, kissing each other, for as long as they could, until someone knocked at the door.

"Hey Buffy, Giles! You in there? If we're going to the beach then we need to get our shopping on!" Xander pounded on the door again waiting for an answer.

Buffy and Giles reluctantly pulled apart and looked into each other's eyes with a giggle.

"Maybe tonight?" Giles said looking into the blue eyes of his love.

She simply nodded in response and walked to the door. Before she opened it she turned back and whispered, "I love you, too."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

After their trip to the mall everyone had what they needed, both for a beach trip and for the next few days until they were all able to return to somewhat of a normal life. Buffy, Giles, and the rest of the gang would need to work out some sort of system now that the Watcher's Council was gone. Giles believed he still had a few contacts in London who could help him out. After they return the girls to their homes, Giles would return to England. Buffy, Xander, Willow, and Dawn all agreed that they should go together. It was one thing to return the Slayer's to their homes now that they had their powers, but the Scoobies all agreed that their group, _family_ as Xander put it, should never leave each other again. Even Giles had to agree with that one now that he and Buffy were finally together.

Giles drove the bus from the mall, back to the motel for everyone to change, and finally down to the beach. Buffy and Willow had picked out a perfect bathing suit for Giles to wear, although he refused to wear it. While in their motel room Buffy at least made him try it on. It was a regular pair of swim trunks that had Harry Potter decorations all over it. The specific pair they chose was colored blue with ravens all over it. Dawn pointed out that Giles would've been a perfect fit for the Ravenclaw house, so when they found the swimsuit they knew it was perfect.

"Please, Giles!" Buffy begged after he'd walked out of their bathroom. "You have to wear it! We're going to the beach, and if you show up wearing jeans you'll be pretty uncomfortable when I eventually get you wet."

"Actually, I believe I'll be the one getting you wet." Giles looked at her with a wink in his eye and a grin on his face.

"Giles!" She couldn't believe what he just said. Two hours ago they couldn't even say the words. Now he's making jokes. Well two can play at that game. "You wanna get me wet, huh?" She stepped closer to him and placed her hands on his hips. "You want to see me naked?" She pulled his hips to hers. "You want to feel me?" She ground her hips into his. "I can show you how wet I can get." She leaned up and pressed her chest to his as she whispered in his ear, "wear the swimsuit Giles, that's why we bought it." She pushed off of him and walked towards the door.

His breath was caught in his throat. He didn't realize he hadn't been breathing. As soon as she walked out he gasped for air. _Damn it, I walked into that one._ He turned around and headed for the bathroom. His shorts were suddenly a bit too tight.

"Hey Buff, we're all here and ready to go. Where's the G-man?"

"Oh he'll be out in a minute or two. I had to convince him that he needed to wear a bathing suit if he was going to the beach." She silently laughed to herself. She knew exactly what he was doing and she was pleased with herself for causing it.

About five minutes later Giles came walking out in his new bathing suit, a matching blue t-shirt, and a towel hung over his shoulder. When his eyes met Buffy's he blushed bright red and he quickly turned to look at the driver's seat. With everyone on the bus and ready to go he pulled out of the motel and headed towards the coast.

A short time later, the yellow school bus pulled into a reserved beach parking lot taking up two or three spaces. The day was considerably warm for late May. The sun was shining and there was not a cloud in sight. The water would undoubtedly be cold, but everyone agreed it would be refreshing after the months they’ve had. On the bus ride over, they coated themselves justly with sunblock and quickly excited themselves for the day ahead.

They all rushed to the beach toting along their bags and towels and coolers and chairs and beach toys, all of which they bought at the mall. Xander somehow made it to the sand first claiming a patch with his chair and his towel. Willow and Kennedy followed close behind claiming a spot for themselves. Everyone made it to the beach with Buffy and Giles bringing up the rear of the group. They took a spot in between Xander and Willow making sure to have the original Scoobies together again. Dawn took a spot in front of them and examined Giles’s new look.

“Giles, digging the bathing suit!” She giggled. “Ravenclaw is literally perfect. I love it!”

“Right?!” Both Buffy and Willow exclaimed together.

“Yes, I do appreciate your forcing me to wear such childish clothing.” Giles tried as best he could to keep the smile from his face.

“No! Giles, really, it’s actually a huge compliment. You see Ravenclaw is the smartest house in Hogwarts. Only really gifted smart people can get sorted into that house. They’re all really, really good at research and they love school and everything. And seriously, it is a compliment.”

“Well,” Giles said now trying to conceal blushed cheeks. “I do genuinely appreciate it then.”

The Slayers and Slayerettes alike enjoyed their time in the sun. By the time everyone was settled, no one was quite ready to get into the brisk water just yet. They opted for lunch instead. Sodas, water, turkey, salami and peanut butter (Dawn of course tried to get everyone to try it claiming that it was by far the best sandwich ‘if you’d just give it a chance!’), peanut butter and jelly, and other various options were held within coolers for everyone to choose from. Slowly some of the girls made their way to the water. The Scoobies laughed as they sat back and watched. It was interesting to see some of the reactions from the girls who had never actually been to the beach before. They enjoyed their time relaxing in the sun. Sometimes telling stories from high school, sometimes they made jokes at each other’s expense. Sometimes they found themselves crying from laughing so hard, and sometimes they found themselves holding back tears of grief. They went back and forth from joy to loss, even having moments of silence for the ones who were taken too soon, which of course seemed to be all of them.

After about an hour and a half of the rapid change of conversation, Xander finally stood and said, “Alright, that’s it. I can’t take this moping anymore. It’s time for us to really have a good time. Who’s down for some water time with me?” He looked at a seemingly comfortable group, “Dawnie? You in?”

She let out a sigh but finally agreed, “Okay. I guess I could use some cold water. I’m starting to get pretty hot, actually.”

“Yeah me, too” Willow agreed, and her and Kennedy joined Xander and Dawn on the walk to the shoreline. Buffy and Giles were left alone.

They sat together, holding each other. Giles was resting in a low beach chair and Buffy was between his knees lying backwards on his chest. He had his arms wrapped around her. She held onto his forearms while they watched the others enjoy the water.

“Giles…”

“Yes?”

“Do you remember what I asked you a few weeks ago, after I went to dinner with Robin?”

He thought back to the morning that started this all. Of course, he remembered every detail of it. He was a Watcher after all. He remembered her tears and the first time that he held her against his chest. He remembered how scared and vulnerable she was. He remembered her question. “Do I think you could have children?”

“Yep. That’s the one.”  
“What about it?”

“I was just thinking…” she paused. She was just thinking that she wanted a baby. She wanted his baby.

“Are you still worried about it?”

“No. Well, not in the strictest sense. I think…now that the crisis is averted, at least for now, and we have all these new slayers…”

“You want to have one now?” He guessed, almost revealing the incredulity in his voice.

“Not now! Well, I mean, not this minute,” her voice got very quiet.

“Buffy-”

“Wait, Giles, hear me out for a sec,” she sat up and turned to face him. “I know it sounds crazy, but there isn’t a better time than now. I mean, we have active slayers all over the world now! And, yeah sure, we need to find them and train them and everything, but we can do that with a baby! We can do it before everything goes to shit again. Giles,” she took a deep breath and looked into his eyes. “I want to do this, and…I was hoping…you would want t-to do this with me.” She looked away sheepishly.

He looked at her and smiled. He pulled her into his lap and kissed her gently on her lips. He wrapped his arms around her back and pulled away to look into her blue eyes, “I was going to tell you, I have always wanted to be a father. When I became an active Watcher before I could marry, I sort of gave up and believed it would never happen. It’s hard to start a relationship as a Watcher once you’ve already dedicated your life to a slayer. I thought it impossible until I met Jenny,” his voice trailed off and suddenly he regretted bringing her into the conversation. “But then you. You continue to surprise me, Buffy Summers.”

She could do nothing but look up at him and smile. She loved everything about him. And she wanted to see him be a real father, more than what they used to think of him in high school. She lay back down on his chest and nestled her head under his chin. She began to think about him as a father. First, she pictured him playing dress-up and having a tea party with a little blonde-headed girl. Then, she pictured him reading and sword fighting with a boy that could’ve been his twin. She pictured mornings with children running into their bed. She pictured Christmas morning: little heads peeking down the stairs. She pictured piggyback rides and sandcastles at the beach. She pictured Giles giving his daughter’s date a ‘Ripper glare’. She pictured breakfast on the porch and pancakes for dinner. She pictured ice cream runs and road trips. She pictured Giles and all of his fatherly possibilities and she fell in love with him even more. Without warning, she sat up again and gave him a tender, passionate kiss.

“What was that for?” He smiled down at her.

“I just really, really love you.”  
“Good, you should.” Buffy giggled and stood. She reached her hands down and offered to help him stand, but he just sat there looking up at her. “What?” He asked.

“C’mon, Giles. We’re at the beach. Let’s get some good use out of those shorts,” she gave him a seductive wink, but he wouldn’t budge. “You do realize that I don’t actually need your permission to help you up. I will carry you into the water.”

He thought for a moment and finally decided that slowly wading into the cold ocean would be much better than being thrown into it. He stood from his chair and pulled her hand along to the water. She stopped him for a moment and pulled his blue shirt off. He tried to fight it at first, but failed to overpower the Slayer. They stood at the edge and just let the water wash over their feet. It was very cold. How all these children were shoulder-deep was beyond him. There was no way he was going any more than this.

“Buffy!” Willow came running up to the pair. “You know it’s pretty cold, but actually if you just dunk your head real quick you get used to it fast.”

Giles gave her a bewildered look and hoped that Buffy wasn’t seriously considering going in. But of course she began dragging him into the water. When he was knee deep, he felt arms wrap around his knees and pick him up. Before he could react he was thrown facedown into the crisp ocean water. And as quickly as he went in, he shot up to his feet.

“What in the bloody hell-! Xander!” He said as he watched the young man struggle to run through the water.

Buffy just stood by and watched, so he decided that she was going to get the same fate as he. As he ran past her towards Xander, he turned at the last minute threw her over his shoulder and carried her deeper into the cold. Willow was right: the water was nicer after your head was thrown under.

Buffy screamed and pounded on his back, “Rupert Giles! You put me down right now, or so help me God!”

“If you say so, love.” He lifted her over his shoulder and tossed her into the water. She hit it with a splash and a scream.

“OH, I am SO going to kill you!” She got to her feet as best she could and swam towards him. But now that they were both wet there wasn’t much to do, so she resorted to a splash fight. Splashing him more and more as she inched closer to him. Finally she jumped at him and wrapped her arms around his shoulders. He complied and pulled her into an embrace. They held each other laughing, enjoying the childish play. Buffy wrapped her legs around his waist and locked her ankles together. She leaned down to his ear and whispered, “What do you say we start practicing?”

He looked at her in complete shock for a moment before he was finally able to find his voice. He looked around, bewildered, and whispered back, “here?!”

“No! Of course not! Although…” she started teasing him, grinding her hips into his. He took in a sharp breath and stopped her motion. “Seriously, Giles,” she said with a laugh. “I’m just messing with you. I want our first time to be more special…and much more private.”

“I would like that very much,” he smiled at her and pulled her lips to his. He gave her a deep, longing kiss filled with promises of the future, both near and far.

As the day moved on, the pack went back and forth from the water to the sand. They built sand castles and even had competitions for the best sand castle. They took turns burying each other in the sand and molding the sand into the shape of a mermaid. The most memorable being Andrew: his head stuck out in the sand, his body buried about a foot below the surface. Some of the girls perfectly molded the sand around him into a _very_ female body with a tail. When he looked down and realized the mounds rising from his would-be chest he let out a whimpering yell. They made sure to take plenty of pictures.

Finally the sun was beginning to set, and not wanting to be out after dark, they piled back into the yellow school bus and made their way back to the hotel.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

“Ewww…” Willow whined as she walked into her room. “I have sand everywhere.”

Kennedy stood back and watched her try and shake the sand from various places of her body. She felt the same itchy sand on her body and decided that showering would be the easiest way to rid of the itchiness. “How’s about we hop in the shower and we help each other get cleaned up?”

Willow smiled and walked towards her. She wrapped her arms around Kennedy’s neck, “hmm, I like the sound of that.” She leaned in and kissed her lover tenderly.

Kennedy ran her fingers through Willow’s hair and caressed her cheek. She walked them both towards the bathroom. They left behind a frenzy of strewn clothing and made it to the shower. While the water warmed up, Kennedy moved her kisses from Willow’s lips up her jaw to her ear, down her throat and to the soft pallet of skin between her breasts. Willow threw her head back and let out a soft moan. Kennedy’s mouth moved gently over each mound. Her tongue played with the hard nubs in her mouth. Her skin tasted salty from the ocean.

Finally, they moved their gentle attacks on each other into the bathtub and under the warm water. They took turns cleaning the other’s body. And when they were done cleaning, they slowly made love to each other in the shower, on the bedroom floor, and finally again in the bed where they slept in each other’s arms.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Xander banged hard on the bathroom door, "dammit! Andrew! Get the hell outta there! I need to get this sand off of me so I can go to sleep!"

Andrew stood under the hot water letting the spray hit his back. He braced himself with one hand on the wall. Slowly he stroked his hardened cock. "Oh God!" He whispered as his breath quickened. "Mmm, oh God, Warren!" His strokes grew faster and harder. "Mmmph. Warren! Oh...I...miss...you...so...much...!" He held his breath. He gripped his cock tight and milked it against the wall as he came with Warren's name on his lips.

He heard Xander banging on the bathroom door. Andrew slumped against the wall and fell to his knees with tear filled eyes. Trying to keep his voice even he yelled, "I'll be out in a minute!" His voice caught at the end and he let out his cries. He didn't want to miss Warren. Warren was evil. Sure, Andrew was evil too, but he's reformed now. And reformed Andrew didn't want to be fantasizing about dead, evil Warren. When he was finally able to compose himself, he cleaned the wall and his groin and left the shower for Xander.

"All set," he said quietly as he walked to his bed with a towel wrapped around his waist.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Buffy and Giles were the last ones to their room. They had waited to make sure everyone was settled before they closed their door for the night.

Walking into the king sized motel room, Buffy flopped down with her back on the bed and her arms spread to both sides. She let out a deep sigh, "today was a good day, all things considered."

"Yes it rather was, wasn't it?" Giles leaned against the bathroom door looking at Buffy. He was suddenly feeling very anxious and nervous about sharing a bed with Buffy. Of course they'd slept together before, in the literal sense, but tonight there were much greater expectations than simply sleep. And that was enough to make him nervous. He waited for her to say something more but she never did. She simply lay on the bed with her arms spread wide. "Wou-would you like the first shower? Or-or-or should I take it?" He finally asked.

Buffy thought for a moment. She could tell there was some tension between them. Probably because of their talk earlier in the day. She could see that he was nervous. He mumbled and stuttered his way through each sentence, and she thought it was adorable. She sat up and smiled, trying to relieve the tension. "Why don't you go ahead. I want to pick out my clothes for tomorrow." That was a complete lie, but he seemed to feel much more at ease.

"Are you sure?" He asked. He let out a breath he didn't know he was holding. "I don't mind waiting."

"No really, go ahead." With that he turned into the bathroom and closed the door. Buffy stood and began rummaging through her shopping bags from their little mall excursion this morning. Willow had helped her find something very special for Giles, and she wanted to surprise him tonight. She pulled out a thin silk and lace cloth. It was a light peach colored gown with thin silk straps. White lace bordered the hem at the bottom and the top. The top of the gown purposefully hung low across her chest so that only the see-through lace would cover her beasts. She couldn't wait to see his face.

About 15 minutes later, Giles emerged from the bathroom smelling fresh from the soap and his after-shave. He only wore a towel around his waist since he left his clothes in his suitcase. "Shower's open," he called to Buffy who was cautiously digging through her shopping bags.

"Thanks." She quickly hid her silk and lace surprise for Giles as she scurried into the bathroom.

Twenty minutes later, Buffy emerged from the bathroom wearing her silk gown. Giles was lying back against the headboard reading a book. He wore a loose, grey t-shirt and his boxer shorts. As she stepped into the room she was quiet, simply waiting for him to notice her. After a minute or two of him _not_ noticing her, she let out a somewhat annoyed sigh and walked to her side of the room to discard her clothes from the beach.

Giles looked up from his book to see her and his breath caught in his throat. She wore a peach colored silk gown. The hem covered in lace. He slowly took the sight of her in roaming his eyes from her toes to her head and back again. As she walked to her side of the room he noticed that she wore nothing underneath it. Her breasts were barely covered by a thin piece of lace fabric. He could just barely see her tight nipples pressing through. His face grew red and hot and the heat quickly traveled south down his body.

She bent over to put her clothes away purposefully letting the fabric of the gown rise a bit in the back as she flashed her rear at him. She heard him let out a small aching sigh and she smiled devilishly at him.

“You look…” he shook his head in disbelief at her appearance. “Beautiful.”

“Thanks.” Her face reddened. She suddenly became very shy and hugged her arms around her body.

Giles got up from the bed and walked around to her. He held her shoulders at arms length so that he could continue to look at her beauty. He moved his right hand up to her cheek, laced his fingers in her hair at the back of her head, and pulled her in for a slow kiss. She responded kindly, wrapping her arms around his waist to pull him tight against her. He moved his left hand slowly down her back and settled it in the small of her back. Their kiss went on, slowly. The simply enjoyed the feel of each other’s lips. When they finally pulled away for air, Giles rested his forehead on hers and closed his eyes.

He took a deep breath and breathed it out with the words, “I love you.” It wasn’t just a statement or a profession of his feelings. This time, it was a plea: a plea for more from each other than they had ever given before. She wrapped her arms around his neck and pulled him close for another kiss. This kiss was deeper than the last and after a moment he brushed his tongue along her lips and she opened for him. While they battled with their tongues, she jumped up to wrap her legs around his waist and he gripped her rear to support her. He took a few steps toward the bed and gently laid her down on the pillows.

Their hands roamed over each other’s bodies finding all of the sensitive spots that would cause one to moan. Giles parted her knees and pressed his body against her. She broke the kiss and threw head back in a moan. He pressed the palm of his hand onto her breasts and gave them each a gentle squeeze. He gave her a look and she nodded in response giving him permission to slip the gown off her body. When he tossed it to the floor, Buffy reached her hands under his t-shirt and began pulling it off rubbing her hands up his torso as she went. He helped her get it over his shoulders and added it to the gown. Giles resumed his chaste kisses from her mouth, down her jaw line, nibbling at her ear, down her neck, and collarbone until he settled between her breasts. He kneaded one with his hand as he sucked and licked on the other. She let out moan after moan and ground her pelvis into his. Suddenly they both remembered his boxer shorts and fought eagerly to remove them.

Once those were gone, Buffy caressed his hard penis. She ran her fingers up and down his shaft and gently squeezed his balls. His voice caught in his throat as he tried to speak. “Don’t…I’ll…come, too soon.”

“Giles,” she breathed his name on his throat. “I want you inside me.”

He reached over to the nightstand and pulled out a silver package from a box he had hidden, a huge grin spread across his face. She giggled at the sight of it, not out of immaturity, but because she was excited that he had the same expectations as she. He unwrapped the condom and slid it on. He looked into her eyes, again asking permission. She reached between them and helped guide him to her core. Slowly he pushed the tip of his penis into her. Both of them groaning as they accustomed themselves to the feel of each other. She raised her hips to his and pushed herself further onto him. Then they began thrusting towards each other, matching, and making a rhythm of love.

Giles took control, starting slow, bringing her closer and closer to the edge. He reached one hand down and began massaging her clit. He felt her close tighter around him for her first orgasm. He muffled her cry with a kiss as he continued to pump into her pushing her over the edge again for her second orgasm. She dug her nails into his back and shoulders trying to hold on. His thrusts became frenzied. She yelled out his name, Rupert, and the sound of it pushed him over the edge. This time they came together.

He chastely kissed her lips as they both came down. He gently slid out of her and discarded the condom. He brushed the hair out of her face and gave her a gentle, loving smile. She reached up and kissed his chin as he wrapped his arms around her and pulled her back to his front. She hugged his forearms and leaned her head against his chest.

When their breathing finally returned to normal, she turned in his arms to face him. He rolled to his back, but kept her close to his chest. She put one hand on his chest and rested her chin on it to look up at him. “I love you,” she said with a smile on her lips.

“Rupert?” He asked with a laugh.

“What?” She laughed with him.

“You called me Rupert!”

“Well that’s kinda your name,” she laughed again.

“Yes, well, I’ve grown accustomed to the name Giles.”

“Me, too,” she thought for a moment. “But I’ve also grown accustomed to Rupert. It’s your name, and I love it.”

“That’s a new perspective. I do believe you’ve mocked me for it a time or two.”

“Yeah well, that was like four apocalypses ago, so I think I’ve grown up a bit since then.”

“That you have, love.” He smiled down at her showing her all of his pride and he kissed the top of her head. “Now,” he said with a yawn. “You’ve worn an old man out. It’s time to sleep.”

“Goodnight, Rupert Giles. I love you.”

“And I you, Buffy Summers. Goodnight.”

He pulled the covers over them both and they slept soundly for the rest of the night. When they would wake in the morning, they would pick up their wounded/healed from the hospital and head on with their journey north until they reached L.A.

Buffy, Giles, Xander, Dawn and Willow sat down to discuss the future with some of Giles’s contacts in London. They would safely return all of the slayers to the their homes with instructions to make routine patrols every night until there are new assignments for everyone. Giles wanted everyone to stay home and simply rest until the future was determined, but Buffy new that it was better that they train and do what they can each night instead of getting restless. Giles made sure everyone had the contact information for he and Buffy while in London with more instructions to check in at least once a week. In three weeks time, the Scoobies (Dawn included) would head to London to work out there future.


End file.
